Under Aman's Rule
by Meditative Writer
Summary: After attempting to deface Aman at the Equalist rally in the bending stadium, the mysterious figure removed his mask to show a large burn scar on his face, proving their claim of his supposed true identity- that of Noatak- to be false. Having saved Tenzin's family, Korra, Mako and the others are forced underground as Aman leads Rep City * Makorra or perhaps Korrasami
1. Food

Occurrence Report:

Day Twelve since Republic City lost. Travelers advised to remain outside Republic City. Benders in danger. Equalist Movement has complete control of city. Now under martial law by Equalist enforcement. All benders being brought to Movement's leader, man by name of Aman, whom has ability to extinguish bending abilities permanently; concentration camps reported throughout city; hold ex-benders captive. Regardless of whether reports are true: Republic City to be considered zone: critical. Avatar not reported captured yet. Last seen fleeing Equalist rally at bending stadium. Hope for best; expect worst.

–Lt. Dao Tseng, External Affairs Agency, Earth Kingdom.

Drip—drip—drip—dripg

The rusted steel gutters thirty feet overhead seemed to produce an endless source of water. Four days of ceaseless rain had finally come to an end for the time being; only, now the city was covered in fog. It had been what seemed like an hour since they had crawled, garbed in Equalist uniforms, out of the manhole which still sat only five feet away. Out of the manhole, from their underground sanctuary, out of the dark, into the light of street lamps but—oh!—directly to press their bodies as hard as they could against the dark gray, concrete walls. Mako ever the alert observer.

"Hey, Mako!" Korra whispered.

"Shhh!" was the reply, finger on lips, eyes narrow and menacing: a gesture of urgency.

"Mako, the street is _pretty_ damn clear to me!" she hissed back.

"Korra, shut the hell up! I'm not sure yet."

 _Damn it!_ Mako was always bitter with her nowadays. Whenever they went scouting Mako would use harsh words and icy undercurrents of tone. Korra didn't know if what made him like this was the pressure placed on them in taking such risks, or the tense situation which had settled acridly onto the three of them: her, Asami and Mako.

Perhaps it was a combination of the two. Or maybe it was that here, in the quiet danger of Equalist-controlled streets—away from Asami—Mako felt free to let his stress show in front of Korra. However, she didn't know if this meant that he felt particularly comfortable around her, or particularly angry with her, which wouldn't make sense; because, after all, it was Mako who started the whole damn mess when he forgot about his relationship with Asami. Whatever the reason for his being like this, Korra didn't like it.

Everyone was tense to the point of insanity by now. Not even Bolin felt inclined to lighten the air with a joke. They had managed to sneak Tenzin and his family out of Republic City before the group settled into its clandestine lifestyle. Just as well, because now they were running out of food, which was why the two of them were out here in the first place.

Mako scanned the two ends of the street, for the fiftieth time, scrutinizing every possible shadow with his keen eyes. "Okay," he whispered hesitantly, "I think we're good—for now."

"Duh," was the annoyed reply. "Honestly, Mako. We've wasted precious time."

"Just shut up, and let's get a move on," he said, dismissing her cold stare.

The two dove into a running crouch, ducking in and out of shadows, evading the orange street lights as often as possible. The streets were almost completely deserted. The Equalists, though promising a better future for non-benders, had established a pretty militaristic leadership, centered on the menacing figure of Aman and his mysterious ability to extinguish bending.

Korra had figured, after hearing Tarrlok's story, that Aman was in fact a bloodbender, and that this was how he destroyed bending in a person. But he had taken off his mask in front of everybody in the bending stadium, hadn't he? If he was truly a waterbender by the name of Noatak, how did he receive the huge burn scar on his face? Was Aman's supposed back story really true, as opposed to Tarrlok's? Was he in fact a non-bender, whose family had been killed by benders, who had been given powers by the spirits? Korra almost reproached herself for considering it, but after the disaster at the bending stadium, she was not sure about what the truth behind Aman really was.

Mako slowed to a low trot, finally halting before a narrow, dark alleyway and said, "I think their new place is just in here."

Korra, smelling something putrid and pinching her nose shut, said, "Are you sure? Why would they be here? This is like the filthiest part of the city."

"The Triple Threat Triads, and any other still-benders have probably had to take whatever comes to them, no matter how miserable. Just like us…"

"Mako," Korra said with a sigh, "I don't trust these guys. Why do you keep getting me involved with them?"

"Korra," he said, looking at her with a firm stare, "We have no alternatives. These guys— along with ourselves— are probably the last benders in fifty miles. Anyone else cannot be trusted." He put out his hand, his expression lightening a little, "Take my hand, and we can take this risk together. We won't be separated."

Eyeing his outstretched hand, Korra sighed, and, resolving to follow Mako into any peril, said, "Alright. I do trust _you_ , and if you're there, I'm fine with it."

They clasped hands together and strode into the putrid darkness. Mako led Korra tightly with his right hand, groping the metal wall with his left, shifting his feet uneasily in front of him in anticipation for unseen obstacles prone to tripping people.

He whispered as they went, an uneven hiss to pace their walking. "Should be just… up ahead, I think… Just about… I think… wait for it korraaaa… ah!"

Korra rolled her eyes in the darkness, unable to take him seriously at the moment. _Why'd I follow this idiot?_

"I think it's here, Korra."

"Have you been here before?" she asked, "How do you know where these guys are hiding?"

"I spotted two of the Triads sneaking into this alleyway last time we were out. I don't know if you saw them…"

She hissed in annoyance, "Mako, how can you be sure this is their place? For all we know this alleyway could have ten doors! We might be about to plead entry into an Equalist apartment!"

In the dark, Korra saw his dumbfounded expression. "I, ah… I didn't think this far ahead…"

" _Idiot_ …"

He returned to his former resolve. "Well, Korra, this is our only possible source for getting food." He crouched there by the door, looking pensively into her eyes. When she was beginning to wonder where his thoughts were going he spoke, "I'll bend some fire—just for a moment—to see how many doors are here."

Korra's mouth almost dropped at the stupidity she had just heard. She hissed, "We are _not_ going to do that!"

"I'm going to do it…" he said, as if he were warning her.

She hissed again, "Mako!"

Too late. In one fluid movement he slid his right foot away from his left, leather boot scraping wet cement, and took the length of his arm in a wide arch directly overhead, a line of orange flames following in its wake, before it went out. For just a second the alleyway was alit, metal walls gleaming ferociously in the light of the fire. Mako glimpsed—for just a second—four doors in the narrow space, two on each wall, and a dead end about ten feet away.

Korra, momentarily horrified, spun around and stared intensely at the exterior street expecting the worst: Chi blockers, Aman, his electric rod-wielding lieutenant. But no one was there, just the orange-lit dampness of Republic City; solitude. She turned slowly around to meet Mako's gaze. For a moment she could have sworn that he look startled before he quickly shot his eyes to the floor.

"There are four doors here," he whispered.

"How do we know which one belongs to the Triple Threats?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"Mako?" It was a voice spoken at normal volume which obviously came from the Republic City slums, a city accent; only this one sounded quite surprised. "Mako, I know that's you in the dark there." The figure stood in the nearest doorway, outlined by a dim orange light from within.

Mako and Korra remained deathly still, not knowing what to do.

"Mako, come on… I know it's you because only you would be dumb enough to fire bend in the streets right now!"

Mako looked up with familiarity. "Two Toed Ping?"

"Yeah, y'idiot!" Two Toed Ping responded. "What the hell'ya doing over here?"

"Can you let us in?" he whispered, sounding as helpless as possible. "It's so cold out here…"

"Yeah, yeah," Ping said in a dismissive voice, "Hold your hog monkeys. I gotta check with the guys first." Ping took his face from them and turned into the dim orange light flickering behind him. "Hey, guess who we got here, fellas. Mako and his friend want a little shelter."

"Let'em in," said a gruff voice from the interior.

Korra felt uneasy as she followed Mako, almost pressing against his back. Ping closed the metal door behind them with a loud _clang!_

The apartment was quite cramped. There was almost no open floor space, it was so small. Three dirty cots were pressed against the wall, covered in thin sheets, which appeared to have originally been white but were now a pale brown. In the corner opposite the cots was a drainage hole and a wooden bucket. Behind the wood bucket was another door, most likely leading to the building's interior hallway. In the center of the small room was a fire pit, alight, with a metal bowl of what appeared to be stew roasting over it. But, besides the uncomfortable appearance of the place, what struck Korra the hardest was the stench. It seemed to be wafting in large waves from the bucket in the corner, settling over the whole room. She couldn't take it; her eyes were watering and she was forced to bring a hand quickly up to cover her nostrils and mouth.

Noticing this, a tuff-looking man wearing a gray brim hat and a gold chain around his neck, the one who had given them entry, chuckled in his ruff voice, "Yeah, not a pleasant suite, is it? We've had to make do, my friends."

"Viper," Mako greeted the man. He looked at the other person seated on his cot, a handsome looking man wearing a blue dress jacket. "Shady Shin. How have you been? Is it only the three of you left?"

Viper looked regretfully at the floor saying, "Yeah. Any of the triple threats who hadn't already booked outta Republic City got caught by the damned Equalists. But we three stayed. I don't want to leave my hometown." He sighed, still looking to the floor. "They reduced the Triads to three guys. Well, two, seeing as they'd already gotten poor Shady Shin's bending a while back."

The man in the blue jacket nodded in resigned agreement.

Korra studied the man, feeling recognition. "You… you were at an Equalist rally, one of the firsts, weren't you?" she inquired in a muffled voice through her hand.

Mako said, "Yeah. He was the one who had gotten Bolin to join their turf war a few months ago."

Shady Shin looked up at them, his expression one of exhaustion. "Shit, if I had known what was gonna go down that night, I would'a never taken your brother, Mako. I wouldn't even'a gone myself."

"It's alright, Shady Shin," Mako replied. "That doesn't matter anymore."

Viper, inquiring into their purpose for coming, asked, "So what do you guys need from us?"

Getting straight to the point, Korra spoke out, "We're out of food. We're out of options, so we came to the only other benders in the city."

Viper chuckled some more, still staring towards the floor. "Girl, if we had _any_ way of getting anything better than trash food, we would obviously share it with you. Obviously. But I will be honest. We _don't_ have any way to get anything better than trash food. So get lost." He abruptly waved his arms up in a dispelling motion and rolled over onto his bed so that he was facing the dirty metal wall.

Korra was about to retort in her usual manner when Mako interjected. "Viper, please. You got your stew cooking. What's in that?"

"Turtle rat." Was the abrupt answer.

Two Toed Ping spoke up. "Hey Mako, you don't looked to under-nourished to me… what you got at your place?"

Korra looked around the room nervously. Something about Ping's tone made her feel on edge…

Shady Shin perked up. "Yeah, Mako. You look pretty well off yourself. So why you begging us? _We_ should be the ones begging _you._ " Both Shady Shin and Two Toed Ping stared the two up and down with keen eyes.

Mako, seeing where this was heading, decided to end the discussion where it was. "Sorry guys. We came to you for help because we need food, now I see you're just as bad off as we are. Sorry to have disturbed you." He took Korra by the hand again and said, "Come on Korra."

"You must have a pretty nice place," said Viper, still staring at the wall behind his cot. "Why don't we join you guys? I'm sure it doesn't smell like shit wherever you're staying…" He rolled over to face them, cheek resting on pillow.

Mako backed away slowly. "We can't. I'm sorry."

Ping's hands lit up in flames, set in a ready stance. "Why don't you take us there, Mako?"

Mako ignited short jets of flame from his fists, forming fiery daggers. "Ping, cut it out."

Korra ran between the two benders and nearly shouted, "Okay, before anyone gets killed, just calm the hell down. Mako, let's just take them. What do we have to lose?"

"Our food!" Mako replied urgently.

"We can _share_ , Mako." She looked at him disgustedly. "What the hell has happened to you?"

"What?" he asked, dumbfounded. "What do you mean?"

"Mako…" She hesitated. "Mako… you've changed."

"Shit," interjected Shady Shin, "Haven't we all?"

After a moment of staring Mako in the eyes, Korra said softly, "We can take you guys in."

Viper coughed, slowly got up from his bed, and faced them. For a long time he regarded the two adolescents, dressed in stolen Equalist uniforms, soaking wet and in disagreement. He said slowly, "Damn, you guys. Not even twenty and you already want to save the freaking world! Move my heart." He went to the fowl corner of the room, where the bucket sat; pushing it aside he opened the metal door to reveal a storage closet with a plentiful amount of canned supplies.

Mako's eyes widened.

Viper turned and said, "If you take us in, we'll bring our food with you. We have a nice non-bender owned warehouse which is a plentiful storehouse for all our needs. We can show you guys, if you want…"

Korra turned towards Mako and looked at him with her delighted facial expression, hand on hip.

"What?" he asked her, anticipating what came next.

"Told you so," she chimed.


	2. Night Time, Morning

"I have to say," commented Shady Shin, "I was expecting something that didn't smell as much like shit as our old place."

"This is just the route we take," replied Korra, "The place we actually _live_ in isn't this filthy."

Korra and Mako had led the remaining three members of the Triple Threat Triads from their cramped, putrid apartment, stealthily running through the dark, damp streets and down the manhole they had always used, entering into the city's sewer system. The five had been walking through the dark, maze-like passageways for almost half an hour now.

Two Toed Ping said, looking around him rather nervously, "Hey… hey, Mako. Tell me how much longer 'till we get there, will ya? I get claustrophobic. Is this place you live in big?"

Korra gave him a funny look. "If you're claustrophobic, how come you were fine with living in that garbage can of a home?"

"First of all," retorted Ping, "It's a garbage can, but it ain't a home. My home's the old Triad hang out, always will be; but given the present _predicament_ , we don't _got_ that anymore, do we? And second of all… it's a different _kind_ of claustrophobia I get, you know? Ah, forget it. You wouldn't understand." He continued walking, bringing his gaze down to the ground.

Mako spoke up, "Don't worry Ping, this place isn't far. Just a few more minutes."

Korra added, "We're living with the homeless people of the city who've established a form of community. They've been nice, but food's been running out…"

"That'll change," said Viper, referring to the large sack of canned goods on his back.

It was not long before they found the concealed corridor, leading to the wider subterranean area which housed almost all of Republic City's homeless.

"Big brother!" exclaimed Bolin, seeing them walking up. "Hey, Asami, Iroh. Mako and Korra are back!" There was almost no ring to Bolin's voice. The usual lively expression of his had been reduced to a miniscule version, a memory of the old, upbeat Bolin.

Asami and General Iroh came out of a shabby wooden shack to see them.

Mako went up to his little brother and hugged him firmly. "Nice to see you, bro. Were we gone too long?"

"Naw," Bolin replied, kicking the dust with his shoe. "Me, Asami and Iroh just played a game with Pabu."

Mako lifted an eyebrow, a slight frown coming to his lips. "What kind of game?"

"Oh, nothing interesting," said Asami in a less than friendly voice. "Not as interesting as what you and Korra have been doing…"

Mako looked at her with a frown, hesitated, then looked to the floor. "I guess so…"

"Eh, Mako?" asked Bolin, seeing the newcomers, "Why did you bring the Triads here?"

Coming up from behind Mako and Korra, Shady Shin said, "Your brother Ma-Ko invited us, Bo. You know, we're like… pals again."

Bolin gave a confused look for a moment before finally saying with a nonchalant shrug, "Okay. If Mako's good with it I'm fine."

"You'll be more fine, Bo, when you see what we brought you," Ping said as Viper threw the large sack to the floor.

Bolin's face lit up in a large grin. Eyes sparkling, he thanked all of them avidly.

Iroh, who had already sat down by the fire in front of the wooden shack beckoned all to come. Viper withdrew three cans of soup from the sack and poured them into the dirty metal pot hanging over the flames. Everyone took their seats, on old stools, rusty, upturned buckets or the floor.

Eventually, all having finished their meals, Korra looked around at the bunch. "Well," she said with a light smile, "We're a bigger group now! Eight is stronger than five."

"Definitely stronger than three," said Viper, patting his now full stomach.

A strangely calming silence had settled over the group. Iroh was lying on the floor, his right hand resting on his chest. Tiny flames were shooting from the fingers of his left and drifting lazily into the air with a low _swoosh_ , dissolving in midair. Bolin was in a similar position, lying almost parallel to Iroh, only he was using his fingers to orbit little dusty pebbles around each other above his head. Mako was seated across from Korra on the other side of the fire; occasionally she noticed his quick glances in her direction despite his attempts to conceal them. Asami stared off, watching Bolin playing with his rocks. The Triads were each stretched out on the floor as well, though by now they were fast asleep, probably relishing the semi-fresh air around them.

Soon Korra got up and went into the wooden shack. She guessed the time to be around midnight, and was exhausted. She felt for a moment as though she had lost something, a terrible fleeting feeling in her stomach, as she realized that she didn't know what they were to do the next day, or the next. Hell, she didn't even know what they were still doing in Republic City at all. Was she doing the right thing by staying here? Perhaps it was her stubborn damn pride. But Korra felt that, as Avatar, it was her duty to remain in Republic City for as long as possible in order to _make things right_ , whatever the hell that meant. With an enormous yawn, she brought her hand up to itch her scalp ferociously and dropped on the bare mattress in the center of the shack. She was fast asleep, not seeing Mako's face staring at her wistfully from his seat by the fire. Her dreams took her to the South Pole, to her father and mother… for a little while.

"Looks like Korra's out," said Bolin, nudging his companion sprawled on the floor next to him. Iroh and Bolin had become quite close in the past two weeks. The difficulties had been seemingly impossible, but Bolin managed to find a new friendship in the midst of it all.

"I'm about ready to doze myself," replied Iroh, his fingers still playing with the small flames in the air. "That was the best meal I've had since I took my fleet into Republic City."

"Yeah," agreed Bolin, in a prolonged, satisfied voice. "Pabu is too, aren't you Pabu?" He tilted his head lazily over to his side, searching for the now engorged fire ferret lying fast asleep on his back, fanged mouth wide open in ecstasy.

Asami put a hand to her forehead, rubbed it for a moment, then stood up to follow Korra.

"You going to bed two, Asami?" asked Bolin with his usual adorably innocent voice.

"Yeah," she said with a long, drawn out sigh. "I have a headache."

"Okay, feel better," he called quietly, watching her retreating form. He put his bulky arms behind his head, letting the little pebbles fall on his chest, and squirmed his body into a comfortable position. "You know, I never figured I could get comfortable on a cold, dirty ground in the sewers," he mused.

"Humans can adapt astoundingly well under circumstances of necessity," replied Iroh in his official, matter-of-fact tone. He rolled over onto his side, placing his hands flat under his cheek. "Good night, Bolin."

"'night," replied the dozing earthbender.

Mako watched the two blank-mindedly as they dozed off gradually. He was the last one remaining awake. It was agreed at the beginning of their clandestine status that the girls had the right to the one mattress inside the shack, and the boys had to make due with the floor by the fire; but, unlike his two companions, Mako had not yet become accustomed to the hard surface of the floor. It reminded him of the days in the street when he and Bolin were still young, when their parents had just died… _We're still young now_ , he thought to himself, mouthing the words silently. _We're still young now_. But it didn't feel that way anymore.

He didn't know how on earth he had gotten himself involved in this whole mess. One day he met the Avatar, a beautiful, naïve waterbender with a real knack and capability for pro-bending. Then, as if Korra's coming had signaled some golgotha, they managed to plunge themselves headlong into the whole damn Equalist crisis. Now they were living in the subterranean with the city's more-than-friendly homeless. It was ironic, Mako thought to himself, how he had most likely been able to hold onto his bending because he was in the middle of the whole situation; he was in the middle of it all because he had found the Avatar—or rather, she had found them. _I still have my powers—I still am free… because of this amazing water tribe stranger_.

These thoughts, the more he pondered, gradually surfaced in him opposing emotions, each pulling him into a good or bad mood. Dismissing it all abruptly, he mumbled to himself, "Well, might as well try to get some sleep." Reluctantly, he sat on the floor with a thud and slowly lowered himself, as if his body were a weighty load, down into a sleeping position.

Mako awoke minutes later to the sound of low shouts coming from inside the wooden shack. He shot up and stared into the darkness of the wooden shack. He saw restless movement and continuous moans coming from where the two girls were sleeping. Panicking slightly, he rushed into the little room and stood over a panicked, yet still sleeping Korra, not knowing what to do. Desperate to comfort her, he shook her body frantically, trying to wake her, saying— trying with all his might not to shout— "Korra, Korra, wake up!"

Asami arose in confused annoyance. "Mako, what the hell are you doing to her?"

"She's having a nightmare or something," he said turning to her in desperation.

Immediately, Asami turned to the frenzied Avatar and, with a cold glance meant to reproach Mako for shaking her so violently, sang a gentle melody she had learned from her late mother; slowly stroking the Avatar's cheek, Asami hummed the tune into Korra's hear, beckoning her to come out of whatever bad dream she was having.

Korra gave an abrupt gasp as she shot up. Breathing frantically, she looked all around her as if an unknown peril was lurking in the shadows. Locking onto Mako's concerned gaze for a moment, Korra let a single tear stream down her sweaty cheek before finally burying her face in his jacket with hacking sobs.

Mako ignored the physical discomfort as the Avatar held his back with tightly gripping fingers, head digging into his stomach. Not knowing what else to do, he simply hugged her, rubbing her back soothingly with his right hand. He could have sworn that he heard the Avatar's heart racing.

 _bu-bum bu-bum bu-bum bu-bum!_

Korra's crying dimmed down to quiet whimpers. Eventually, she withdrew from the warm comfort of Mako's lap and, collecting whatever composure she could, sat back on the mattress, breathing shakily.

None of the others had apparently woken up at the noise; only Korra, Asami and Mako were in the room.

"What happened, Korra?" asked Mako in a quiet voice. "Was it a dream?"

Korra remained silent, finding a point-of-fixture for her gaze on the wall.

Asami assured her, "Korra, we're here for you. You don't have to talk about whatever nightmare you were having. Are you alright?"

Korra regarded the two of them, as if she had just resurfaced from almost drowning. Taking deep, raggedy breaths she stared down at her opened palms, shining with sweat.

 _Breathe in… breathe out…_

In a quiet, solemn, almost menacing voice, she said, "He had come in. Found us… He had found us, killed you all… I watched you die. Then he killed me. I thought it would never end, this dream." She looked up at Mako biting her lower lip, tears welling up in her eyes again. "I thought it was real, Mako," she choked, before burying her face in his jacket once more.

Mako looked up at Asami with a worried expression, only to find her staring at him coldly. He shot back a narrow look as if to say _What am I supposed to do? Push her off?_ Despite his efforts to suppress it, Mako felt a fluttering sensation in his stomach whenever Korra would come this close to him.

And Asami had noticed this.

Eventually, Mako brought Korra up by her shoulders to meet her at eye level. He said, "You should get some sleep."

"I don't want to, Mako," she nearly whined, "I don't want to be alone…"

"You won't be alone," said he with a slight smile curling his lips. "Asami will be here with you."

Asami took the Avatar's hand and said, "Korra, I'll be here in bed with you. We'll be alright…"

After looking at the two with squinting eyes and a frown, Korra finally accepted, laying back down. Asami lay down next to her, putting her arm around Korra. The Avatar proceeded to shrink into a ball in Asami's arms, slipping into an exhausted sleep.

Mako sat there awhile, observing the two dormant figures with his hand resting lightly on Korra's side. Soon he stood up and walked quietly out, hand slipping slowly off the waterbender's fur coat, as if unwilling to part with it.

"Back to bed," he told himself in a fleeting whisper. As he lay down at his spot on the ground—ever dusty—Mako remembered something he had read a while back, or something he had heard…

 _When a man is asleep, he penetrates his innermost, and dwells in the One._

Strange. Where had he heard that? It sounded like something Tenzin might say, if he was inquired about some wisdom for the day. But surely Korra's fears of Aman, of ending up alone were not of her innermost, Mako thought as he stared up at the distant concrete ceiling. _She's not exactly the most spiritually inclined_ , thought Mako, _but the Avatar's innermost, the innermost of all beings is pure, untouched_ …

He closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. Mako felt as though he were wading into something beyond his comprehension. Perhaps, when times were less difficult, he would sit with Tenzin and speak with him; he would take up meditation and focus on the Fire he bended—and the other three elements—as an inner aspect of himself, instead of a medium for martial arts.

Slowly, with these thoughts dwelling in his consciousness, Mako drifted off into sleep, perhaps penetrating his innermost.

"Mako… Mako… Mako… _Mako_!"

"Wha… Wha? Korra?" The firebender's eyes fluttered open to focus on Korra's silhouette towering over him in the dark.

"Get up, Mako," whispered the Avatar. "I need you to come along with me…"

Mako stood up, his fingers instinctually coming up to press against the space between his ruffled eyebrows. _What is she up to now?_

"Come along with you to do what?" he asked with a yawn, afraid to hear her answer.

She casually looked at her fur boots kicking in the dust, which suddenly appeared to draw all of her attention. She slowly looked up at him with a sheepish gaze. "I need to go to Air Temple Island…"

His jaw almost hung open. "Uhh, Korra… Wh-why? Why would we _ever_ want to go there?" Both were aware that this was the newly established headquarters of Aman and the Equalists.

"Don't worry," responded Korra, rolling her eyes. "I don't want to go to take Aman out or anything," she said, staring at Mako as if this were obvious.

"Are you _sure_ that's not what you're planning to do?" Mako asked in an I'll-find-out-if-you're-lying-to-me kind of voice.

"Mako, I'm being honest," she assured. Sighing, she added, "Tenzin didn't have a chance to take something with him when they fled the island."

"What is it?" asked Mako, his expression softening with genuine curiosity.

"Aang's prayer beads. _My_ prayer beads, rather." She looked up at Mako's golden eyes. "I want to retrieve them, and return them to Tenzin as a surprise when we get a chance to see him. He's probably endured a lot; Air Temple Island was established for future airbenders. And now it's lost to the Equalists."

Mako contemplated this for a moment. He finally said, "Korra, if anything was left behind, wouldn't it have been taken or destroyed by Aman's people?"

Korra gazed away in a slightly guilty manner. "Yes…" she said slowly, "But, I want to take a look for myself…" She kept her gaze fixed far off to her left, evading any eye contact.

"Korra…" Mako said tentatively. After a minute with no answer, he said more firmly, "Korra."

The Avatar turned her gaze back to meet his, using as innocent an expression as she could muster for her defense, giving him her classic puppy dog eyes.

Mako sighed deeply. How far would he follow this Avatar? To what end? "Alright-" he said before being abruptly interrupted by Korra flinging her arms around his neck.

"I knew I could rely on you, city boy," she said with a ring to her voice.

After slipping quickly into their stolen Equalist garb, the two benders moved swiftly through the maze-like, subterranean tunnels, know by now to them like the backs of their hands. After an hour and a half of stealing away in the shadowy passageways, they arrived at the wide opening of a drainage pipe overlooking the city's bay, with a direct view of Air Temple Island. They jumped down to the large, rounded rocks bordering the cold ocean. A light mist lay over the water; it was the early hours of the morning and the sun had not yet risen.

"How are we going to get over there?" asked Mako.

"Like last time," said Korra with a smile. "I'll bend us a way underwater."

Mako regarded the Island for a long time. The lighthouse which towered above it now upheld a large banner with the character for Aman's name centered in a red and black circle. "There he resides," he said almost woefully. Do you think Tarrlok was right, Korra?"

Korra shivered at the thought of this. "I don't know what to think. I still suspect him to be a bloodbender… I still suspect him to be Noatak."

"I share that sentiment," said Mako solemnly, watching the menacing banner of Aman flapping in the ocean wind.


	3. Prison of the Past

**[Listen I know I haven** **'** **t updated with a new chapter literally since last summer but I go through lapses of interest so bear with it. A super short chapter, but it** **'** **s important** **—** **and I haven** **'** **t played around with stream of consciousness before so this is my somewhat attempt at that. Well it** **'** **s not really stream of consciousness but it is what it is. Maybe I could make it better quality soc but it** **'** **s a fanfic and i want to focus on plot really more than language, though this is important. I** **'** **m super interested in how this twist on season 1 finale is going to play out. Anyways, enjoy, and please leave comments cuz I could use ideas potentially.]**

His limbs had long grown stiff from lack of movement. The pain throughout his abdomen and head from lack of nutrition had drolled out into numb ripples which he now barely felt. Tarrlok slouched against the wooden wall of the air temple attic where he had been placed he knew not how long ago. Time had bent out of cognition some weeks ago after so much silence. His only notion of the world outside was the dull light sifting through the small paper windows. With nothing to stimulate his mind, this has become his sole companion, and he has paid a heavy toll.

Once a day, a concealed figure would peak up through the hatch leading into the attic and slide over a bowl of soup. Though, recently the visits had waned to every few days.

Tarrlok did not know if Noatak had forgotten about him, or if he was purposely neglecting him. He had not seen his brother since he had taken away his bending.

He was still bitter. He still felt hatred towards Noatak for showing no reserve in destroying his own brother's life; but beyond that, now that Tarrlok new that Noatak was alive, old pains had resurfaced which tore Tarrlok's mind from inside out. He spent much of his time mutely sobbing into his thinning arms, standing in the face of all of his unaddressed memories which he had now been forced to confront. Tarrlok had not come to terms with the destruction of his family, his mother's life, his own childhood; all these he had swept underneath the carpet to play the part of councilman—just as he did with his blood bending. This things which defined him deep down to the core of his self, which he had so cunningly tricked himself into ignoring, had come rushing back up before his eyes, all in the wake of having his bending taken away by his own beloved, long-lost brother: Noatak.

He had expected Aman to fall. He had perched against the bars of his cell, grip tightening around the bars, as he waited for police officers to burst into the attic and take him to police headquarters. He had become impatient after he had spoken the Avatar—and that young firebender. He was certain they would expose Aman and quench this revolution, this nightmare.

It was indeed a nightmare for Tarrlok. Growing up under the cold grip of Yakone's upbringing and bending instruction had hardened Tarrlok quite a bit, but he was going crazy in this prison, in the cell and in his own mind. His brother alive, his mother ruined, his childhood barren. His bending gone. Tarrlok had a limit and he was vaguely aware that it had been crossed in the light of all that has transpired, all that has come crashing down onto his life.

He should have gone with Noatak that fateful night, when they had defied their father. No. But he was tied to his mother. And rightly so. She did not deserve to lose her son's. He stayed with her, and stood by her in Yakone's last bitter years. Tarrlok could at least be proud of that. But still, he pondered what if. What if he had gone with Noatak? He would never have been separated from his brother, and perhaps neither of them would have gone down the paths they had chosen. But what has been has been, he told himself. His words fell empty, void shells of words recycled from what he had read in some text years ago.

Tarrlok ran his lanky fingers through his greasy hair and sighed raggedly. Sweat beaded on his forehead and the bridge of his nose, to him now a familiar occurrence whenever he would over what has been. He coughed weakly, the sound falling flat into the empty air in front of his tilted head. He was staring emptily into the space in front of him now, letting his mind lapse into warm nothingness. These moments of blank thought were his repose. In them he found the door to sleep; without them he remained wide awake, tortured. Time spanned on, as ever it did, and continued to blur itself constantly, so that even his vision was blurred by his head's movement.

The hatch jolted lightly. It jolted once more, louder this time. Tarrlok heard it, but did not look, did not acknowledge it. The concealed figure would slide his food over and he could take his time in that one form of stimulation. He had long since learned to compose himself when eating to make his scarce meals to last up to an hour long, as he had no other means of stimulation in his prison. His eyes flinched at the slightest of air currents coming from below through the now open hatch. He closed his eyelids, feeling his mind grow lighter with relief at the prospect of entertaining himself with food for an hour.

"Hello, brother."

Tarrlok looked up wearily. "Noatak."

"How are you doing?"

"Don't ask me that," Tarrlok spat bitterly.

Noatak remained silent.

Tarrlok stared up at his brother's masked face, Aman's face, and said quietly. "I missed you, brother. I spent years beside mother, after father had died off, wondering what had become of you." He looked down to his hands. His vision slightly blurred out periodically from his malnutrition. "Now that I have seen you once more, I have missed you even more. In this cell, the feeling of loneliness has _consumed_ me." He looked up darkly at his brother. "Now that I know I am not the last of my family, that my brother lives, he has not come to see me. He has simply put me in a cage to rot into _nothing_. He will not even look me _face to face_ , with no mask in between."

Noatak, through Aman's mask, looked down at his crippled brother without saying a word. After moments of silence, he spoke firmly and to the point. "I wish I did not have to take your bending from you, brother. You I would have spared, were it not for the absolute necessity of complete purity in my domain. I confide in you, brother, that I would as soon take my own bending away for the sake of complete equality among companions. But I, in my sacrifice, must remain yet impure in order to purify." Noatak paused, staring down at Tarrlok for a moment, before finalizing. "I would have you join me, brother. Now that you are no longer a bender, I would have you by my side so that we may create a better world, together, as brothers—together, so that we may repent the sins of our father."

Tarrlok remained slouched with his back against the wooden wall. A grimace had formed on his weak face. "I do not share your sentiments against bending, Noatak," he let out. "Bending is a natural part of this world, and you are a fool to try to defy nature with your ideals." He shot a pained glance at his brother, and brought his face down again, and said no more. And he remained still long after his brother had left him.


End file.
